Peters



(No Model.)

2 sneets-sneet 1. J. H. HUNTER.

'APPARATUS PoR sToNING FRUIT.

Patented 001;. 28 1890.

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(No Model.) 42 Sheets-sheet 2.

J. H. HUNTER. APPARATUS Fon sToNING FRUIT.

No. 439.155. Patented oct. 28, 1890. Y

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UNITED STATES APATENT QEEICE,

JAMES HOPE HUNTER, OE BUENOS AYRES, ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. I

APPARATUS FOR si'oNlNG FRUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,155, dated October28, 1890. Application iled July 11, 1889. Serial No. 317,220. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES HOPE HUNTER, of Buenos Ayres, ArgentineRepublic, a subject of the Queen ot Great Britain and Ireland, haveinvented Improved Apparatus for Stoning or Coring and Slicing Stoned orother Fruit, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of fruit prior topreservation for exportation or other purposes, in which it is desiredto remove the stone or core and at the same time to slice the fruit-suchas peaches, apples, or pears, ccf-into two or more portions, and it iscarried out in an extremely simple, cheap, and efficacious manner.

Figure l shows a side elevation of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cutter employedtherein. Fig. 4 shows the machine arranged to be operated by a treadle.Fig. 5 shows an arrangement by which the machine may be operated byarotary motion when a steam or other motor is used.

My apparatus consists in a suitable frame A to be attached to a bench orother support.

The upper part of the frame carries a sliding rod or bar B, guided bybearings C C in the frame and reciprocated up and down by a lever D,which has its fulcrum at E upon the back of the frame, and is pivoted atF to the sliding bar B.

The opposite end .I of the lever D is connected by the connecting-rodIWI to the operating-lever N, which is pivoted at O to a suitablebracket P xed to thebench. This lever N is arranged so that the handleconveniently projects toward the operator standing in front of theframe, who can thus operate the machine with one hand While he handlesthe fruit with the other.

Upon the lever D a Weight R is arranged so as to counterbala-nce theweight of the sliding bar B and levers D and N.

For the hand-lever operating the cutter-bar I may substitute anequivalent treadle motion for operation by the foot of the laborer, asshown at X in Fig. Il, or, equivalently, a wheel might be fitted withcrank motion to effect the reciprocation of the cutter -bar, either byhand or with a pulley, revolved by a machine-band driven by steam orother power, as shown in Fig. 5.

Fitted to the under projecting portion of' the frame is a cylindricalrest or support G of small size cupped at the upper end to form a restfor the fruit. j This support G may be adjusted and locked in positionbyaset-screw H at any convenient height.

The before-described reciprocating rod or spindle B is tted withacutting-tool K, made of tine steel, with the lower edges sharpened tothe requisite kee'nness. vThe shape of the cutting-tool is that of ahollow cylindrical punch with a sharp cutting-edge at the lower face andprovided with two or more radiallyspreading wings L, the lower edges ofwhich are also sharpened to a cutting keenness. The cutting-tool is leftopen at the top for the escape of that part of the fruit that is forcedup through it, and is supported so as not to impede suchA escape by thebifurcated shank Z Z, the latter forming upward extensions of the bladesor wings L. The hollow punch serves the purpose ot cutting out the stonefrom stoned fruit-such as peaches-or for coi-ing apples or pears, andthe pair of radial wings L at the same time slices the fruit in two, andit more wings are used they will serve to slice the fruit into anynumber of desired portions. A variety of such cutters may be providedwith the machine to suit the various sizes of fruits and to cut out thecores of various classes of fruits. The said hollow punch K is made soas to tit over the cylindrical rest G on which the fruit stands, so thatthe cutter descends over the top of the rest so as to completely iinishthe cut, and is thereafter checked by a collar adjustable on thecutter-spindle without injury to its cutting-edges. Y

The method of operation is for the laborer to adjust the fruit in therequisite position upon the cylindrical rest G with the left hand, whilethe cutter K is brought down smartly on the fruit by' operating thehand-lever N with the right hand, the core or stone being ejectedthrough the, hollow punch, and theV sliced fruit. falls apart into asuitable receptacle below. The fruit may be skinned by a distinctoperation before or after the slicing and stoning or coring` operation.

This apparatus I have found in practice to be most effective for itspurpose and such as to enable one laborer to do as much work as IOOabout eight to ten men Working with an ordinary hand-knife and giving acleanly and iin- 'one with each hand, thereby reducing the amount oflabor required.

Having no7 particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same-is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. In an apparatus for stoning and cutting fruit, thecombination, with the vertical shaft B, carrying the cutter K L L, andthe opposing vertically-adjustable support G, having means for securingit in various positions, of the lever D, the Weight R, operating tocounterbalance said shaft and cutter, and a handlever connected with andadapted to operate said lever D, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus' for stoning and cutting fruit, the stoning andcutting knife comprising the cylindrical portion K, open at the top, andthe slicing-Wings L L, in combination with the vertically-adj ustablerest G, adapted to fit Within said part K and having the setscreW Il,substantially as set forth.

3. In a machine for stoning and 'cutting fruit, the combination, withthe frame A, having bearings C, the reciprocating rod B, moving in saidbearings and carrying the compound cutter K L, and the cylindrical restGr, entering the descending cutter and adjustable by means of set-screwH, of rods D, M, and N, whereby motion is imparted t-o the reciprocatingrod B, and a Weight R,forcounterbal ancing the Weight of rod B andlevers D and N, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES HOPE HUNTER.

